Harry Potter and the New Plague
by shyy
Summary: An experiment by Voldemort's followers goes awry with disastrous results
1. Default Chapter

HARRY POTTER AND THE NEW PLAGUE Author's note- All credit is given to J.K. Rowling, from whose imagination, the wonderful world of HP springs forth. All of the recoginizable characters are her's. No compensation or respect is desired by me. Flames welcomed.Please be patient, this my first attempt at fan fiction. Please review.  
  
"CRUCIO" , the voice hissed through the cold air, followed by a harsh gasp and then a howl of pain. "Please forgive me master, I will not fail you again "the huddled form at the feet of the large throne sobbed. "I send my best death-eaters to capture a group of teen-agers, who have been decoyed into an ambush, the likes of which has not been seen since the wizard Grindelwald was in power, and not only do I not receive my weapon. I also have to rescue the elite force from the Ministry of Magic's auror division and personally duel Dumbledore. I lost 3 death-eaters that night and what happened to my foes? A few minor injuries, and one fatality. On top of everything else, now the Ministry, which did not believe I had arisen, saw me and now my existence cannot be refuted and my plans are nowhere near complete. Lucius, if you do not wish to end up like that fool, Sirius Black, you will give a reason to allow your pathetic self to live, RIGHT NOW !"  
  
"Master, I believe that I have news that may change the way you are feeling. The formula I've created is ready to be tested on the muggles, my Lord if you wish we may proceed with the test." "Very well Lucius, you may begin the test," said Voldemort. With a nod to an assistant the huge doors at the rear of the room opened and twelve muggles were brought forth to stand before the throne. "My Lord, they have ingested the potion, would you care to do the honors?" Slowly Voldemort stood and pointed his wand at the nearest muggle. "Avada Kedavra" a streak of green light streaked through space toward the muggle, but was absorbed by the man with seemingly no effect.  
  
The assembled death-eaters gasped in shock as the muggle began to groan softly, then a blank, unfocused look came into his eyes. "Oh no, those side effects that Severus said were possible appear to have occurred", said Lucius, with a sideways look at one of the death-eaters. "The man has no soul, sire, he is as the muggles say, become a zombie. According to Severus only Patronus charms and very powerful stunners will have any effect on him. He will desire to eat the flesh of the living and they will become like him. We cannot go any farther with this potion until we figure out what went wrong."  
  
"This is not a complete failure Lucius, you have achieved immortality as I wished, but with an undesirable result. We will use this to our advantage. Allow him to infect the other muggles and release them in Wales. This will focus the attention of the Ministry there while we find a way to destroy Dumbledore, Potter, and company. Then we will work out the problems with this potion at our leisure, without any interruptions." With a bow and a shaky "As you wish, M-Master" Lucius and several death-eaters left the room with the prisoners in tow.  
  
It was going to be quite an interesting summer. 


	2. 2 Privet Drive

Chapter 2  
  
Author's Note- Thanks to Slate_One for bringing to my attention that my story is AU. Sorry, but Lucius has such a big part in this story that I can't rewrite his part. I will try to stay as close as I can to the original series. Keep the reviews coming.  
  
It was a steamy, cloudy summer afternoon on Privet Drive. Distant thunder had driven the inhabitants of the neatly kept homes indoors. At Number 4 Vernon Dursley looked up from the evening news. "BOY" he yelled, "Get down here right now!" "Yes, Uncle Vernon, what can I do for you?"Said a dark haired slight boy of about sixteen as he rushed into the room. Although his treatment this summer had been much better due to the Order's warning to Vernon at King's Cross at the end of last term, Harry Potter could not forget the way his relatives had treated him before, and he did not wish to revert to the way things had been.  
  
"Boy, do you know anything at all about this?" said Vernon gruffly, pointing to the television news, where the newscaster was saying, "A strange occurrence happened today in Wales. Eleven people are dead, and four injured, after eight people attacked a group of students on a summer field trip. The attack occurred near the village of Caern, where according to witnesses, the unsuspecting students were viciously attacked by maniacs who cannibalized their victims." "It was like a scene from a horror movie," said one survivor, "There we were, minding our own business when these bloody things, these maniacs started attacking us like zombies." "Authorities are at a loss as to why the students were set upon so suddenly, but according to PC Andrews-White of the local constabulary, there has been no escape from the nearby Bartelby Asylum. The only clues left behind are the bodies of the victims and the survivors, who claim that there was no way these people could have been walking. "They looked like auto accident victims, clothes torn, skin lacerated, but they moved very quickly, and they are very strong," said one of the survivors. The bodies have been transported to Kent where a detailed forensic investigation will be performed. The injured have been taken to Mercy Hospital where they are listed in guarded condition. We will be watching to bring you updates as they occur ."  
  
"Were those things Dementoes? Are they all over the country? Is there anything that 'normal' people can do to fight them off ?" The questions rushed from Harry's relatives faster than he could answer them. "No, they couldn't have been Dementors. Mug- 'normal' people can't see them. Besides they don't eat their victims, they just suck the souls from them. They also only leave Azkaban with the Ministry's permission. I don't know of anything you could do against them anyway, the only thing that works against them is the Patronus charm and only few wi- of us can perform it. I don't know of anything in the Wiza- in my world that does anything like this except werewolves and they only act like that on full-moon nights" Harry explained. Hastily making an excuse to leave, Harry rushed upstairs.  
  
Once he was safely in his room, Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and quickly scribbled out a note to his best friend, Ron Weasley.  
Ron,  
How are things? I hope you all are well.  
Have you heard about the attack near Caern?  
Is there anything that could do this type of attack?  
The muggles are treating me alright. Hope to see you soon.  
Tell all your family I said hello. Awaiting your reply.  
  
Harry  
"Are you feeling up to a delivery girl?" Harry stroked Hedwig's feathers lightly. She nipped his finger lightly by way of reply. Attaching the note to her leg he said, "This goes to Ron, okay, be careful." With that Harry opened the window and released Hedwig, then stood and watched her as she flew out of sight.  
  
As the summer went by news of these types of attacks began to come in along with the news that the wounded victims became insane as well and began to attack people. These maniacs could not be killed by any means save incineration. As the summer wore on Harry finally received a reply from Ron.  
  
Harry  
Sorry it took so long to reply but it's been a madhouse here.  
Dad says that the creatures radiate magic and the only spells that  
will have an effect on them are Incendio, The Patronus Charm, and Stupefy.  
Of the three only Incendio will work for all wizards and witches, while  
Stupefy, and the Patronus Charm will only work for those with powerful magic.  
The Ministry thinks they were deliberately created, but for what purpose?  
They are spreading and Dad says Dumbledore will be recalling all students  
to Hogwarts soon. He asked if you could come to stay the remainder of  
the summer and Dumbledore said yes. Moony and Tonks will be picking  
you upon Friday at 5:00. We'll be at The Burrow for one week then back  
to Hogwarts on the seventh of August. Can't wait to see you. Ginny's  
been wanting to write so I'll let her. Your friend. Ron  
  
Harry  
I've got to talk to you about something when you get to The Burrow.  
Please don't tell Fred, George, or Ron because they're insufferable  
already. It's very important (to me anyway) so please meet me in the  
garden after dinner on Friday.  
Love  
Ginny  
  
Harry carefully folded up the note. He thought about Ginny's cryptic message more than Ron's information. He had been thinking of Ginny a lot lately, and not as just Ron's little sister. She obviously wanted to say something and now that he thought about it, he had something to tell her as well.  
  
On Friday, Harry's birthday, no parcels or notes arrived. Harry assumed that everyone had forgotten his birthday due to the excitement of their early return to Hogwarts, but to Harry he was getting a gift today anyway, he would get to return to the wizarding world a full month earlier than expected. All day he was nervous about tonight even though he looked forward to it immensely. Harry planned to tell Ginny he liked her, not just as a friend, but as a girlfriend, tonight in the garden at The Burrow. At 5:00 a knock sounded and Harry rushed to open the door. There he saw the nervous faces of Nymphadora Tonks, and Remus Lupin. They came in and quickly closed the door behind them. "It's good to see you Harry, are you all packed?" said Remus. "Wotcher Harry" said Tonks "we need to hurry they're expecting us at The Burrow As soon as possible." "How are we getting there?" said Harry. "We'll floo from Mrs. Figg's, the order has had her attached to the network for the day" said Remus, "are you ready?" Nodding to Remus Harry picked up his trunk and the trio slipped out the door and down the street to Arabella Figg's house. "Remus, Tonks, Harry it's good to see you. Come in , come in" said Arabella as she opened the door to greet them. "Hate to rush , Figgy" said Tonks ,"but they're expecting us ASAP." Harry took a pinch of the offered floo powder, flung it into the fire and said loudly, "The Burrow." 


	3. 3 Mixed News

3. Mixed News  
  
The green flames swirled high and Harry's stomach began to do a complicated series of aerial maneuvers, which erased all thoughts except nausea from his mind. When he realized the trip was over he was lying in front of the fireplace in The Burrow with a gaggle of concerned redheads leaning over him. "Have I ever said that I hate travelling by floo powder? I believe it gets worse every time," said Harry when it became evident that his stomach had decided to remain in his body. Mrs. Weasley helped him up saying, "Are you quite all right dear? You look a most lovely shade of green." "Not as nice as his eyes though" said Ginny, whose blush was causing her face to become almost as bright as her hair. "Sure, Gin, almost as nice as the way your blush matches your hair" snickered Ron, "C'mon mate lets get your stuff upstairs."  
  
When they had finally convinced Mrs. Weasley that Harry was fine, and gotten all his things upstairs, Harry turned to Ron. "Alright, what's the real reason we're going back to school a whole month early? Those few episodes of maniac attacks couldn't really be enough to justify all this fuss." "It really is Harry, this has been kept from the Muggles, but these creepers have been increasing greatly. So far the Ministry estimates at least thirty dead witches and wizards and that many more turned to 'them'. Last week a unit of the Muggle Royal Army tried to stop a creeper attack on a hospital in Brighton. Their weapons were all but useless. The only thing they had that works against creepers is flamethrowers, but they can't be used in a building full of sick Muggles. The ministry sent a team of Aurors to help, but they didn't fare much better. Only one in three can cast the Patronus charm, so while those that could held off the creepers, the rest used the Reductor curse to blast a whole through the wall so the remaining patients, staff, and soldiers could escape," said Ron. Harry was shocked, "H-How many dead total?" "So far the Ministry estimates between four and five hundred Muggle dead." Ron said softly.  
  
"How can the Ministry keep this under wraps?" said Harry. "Fudge contacted the Muggle Prime Minister, and they've cooked up a misinformation campaign. The murders are being blamed on anything that isn't magical, everything from terrorism to auto bang-ups for those incidences on Motorways. It's sad really, the Muggles don't know what's happening, and the few who do, don't have any real hope of stopping the nightmare, while we, who have been trying to be unnoticed for centuries, are the only real hope of the world." Ron replied. "Yes, and we only have a few wizards and witches powerful enough to perform two of the three spells that affect them." Said Ginny as she walked in, holding what looked to be an old piece of string. "Extendable ear!" sighed Ron. Giggling, Ginny wound up the extendable ear and stowed it in her pocket. "Well if some people wouldn't treat me like a child, they would know that I can be quite resourceful when I need to be." Ginny said quietly while directing a withering glare at Ron. "I can see you're a woman-ah-ah –young lady who can take care of herself." blurted Harry, and he immediately began to blush a shade of red that nicely matched the two Weasley's hair. Ginny dropped her gaze to the floor and Ron stared at Harry openmouthed "I mean you are a great witch, ah- a-a..." Deciding that he had already said to much to cover up his feelings, Harry decided to go ahead and tell Ginny how he felt. Turning to her and taking her hand Harry said, "Ginny, I didn't want to say this now, in front of anyone, but I guess I might as well tell you this. I haven't had anyone to care for me, so I've never known what love is, but I feel very strongly for you and lately you've been on my mind nearly all the time. I don't want to throw our friendship away, and I need to know if you have any feelings for me. I would call my feelings love, but I don't know the emotion. You don't need to say anything; I just want you to think about this, I want to be with only you. You give me joy in just having the knowledge that you exist. Please think about a possible us and if you have room for me in your heart, I would forever be happy. When you decide how you feel let me know, because I'm scared to death that I've just turned you away, and that is the last thing that I want to happen." Looking into her eyes Harry didn't see the rejection he feared, he say tears, he was about to apologize for hurting her when she threw her arms around his neck and gushed, "Oh, Harry, this is the happiest moment of my life. I've loved you ever since I first saw you at King's Cross your first year at Hogwarts. Yes Harry, I'd love to be with you and my heart is yours if you want it." Harry hugged her tightly thinking that life could not get any better for him than it is right now. He was about to say when he was startled by a very loud thump behind him. Harry whirled and saw Ron, unconscious, lying on the floor. "Merlin, he's passed out." Said Ginny, as she rushed to his side.  
  
"WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?" yelled Mrs. Weasley, as she and the twins rushed into the room. "Ah, Ron passed out." Said Harry sheepishly, looking to Ginny for support. Fred immediately pointed his wand at Ron, "Enervate!" Ron opened his eyes and looked at Harry. "Y-You and her?" Then he looked at Ginny. "You and him?" Mrs. Weasley looked puzzled and placed her hand on Ron's head to check for fever, but Fred and George just looked at each other with an identical pair of sly grins forming on their faces. "Mum, we believe..." began George, "that young Mister Potter here..." continued Fred, "would like to begin courting ickle Ginnikens!" they finished in unison. Looking from Harry to Ginny, and seeing matching blushes she beamed and gathered them both into a hug. "Oh Ginny, I just have to owl your father, he'll be so delighted." With that Mrs. Weasley turned and dashed downstairs. The twins were slowly backing toward the door being followed by a very murderous looking Ginny.  
  
Harry had just arrived and it was already turning into an interesting visit. 


End file.
